President Obama Expected to Sign Revised ‘No Child Left Behind’ Program

U.S. President Barack Obama is expected to sign the revised version of the "No Child Left Behind" program, which was just cleared by the Senate on a vote of 85-12 on Wednesday. The Every Student Succeeds Act passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 359-64 last week.

The overhaul will reduce federal control over the education system, allowing states to decide on their own K-12 (kindergarten through to the 12th grade) education policy. The U.S. Department of Education can no longer mandate or attempt to persuade states to follow the Common Core academic standards.

The government also cannot determine how schools should be penalized if they do not meet their own standards. States, however, must actively intervene in certain situations. For example, if a high school graduation rate dips below 67 percent or if a select group of students continue to fall behind time after time, states are responsible for helping these schools improve. States must also work with schools in the bottom five percent.

"Wherever those inequities persist, the federal law demands that we see real action," education secretary, Arne Duncan said reported by USA TODAY. "It requires that local leaders act to transform the odds for students in their schools."

The Every Student Succeeds Act will also focus less on standardized testing and more on individual performances based on local standards. The annual math and reading tests for grades three through eight will remain in place. High school students will still have to take one test.

"This forward-looking replacement for a broken law would open new opportunities for our kids and put education back in the hands of those who understand their needs best: parents, teachers, states, and school boards," said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said reported by CNN.

"We've been at this for seven years," Republican Senator from Tennessee, Lamar Alexander, who is the chairman of the Senate education committee, said. "It this were homework, they would give Congress an 'F' for being tardy...but this fixes the law that everybody wants fixed."

"It wasn't long after the law was passed that we realized it was full of flaws," Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid said prior to the vote.

No Child Left Behind was signed in 2001 and had technically expired in 2007. However, due to the fact that legislatures failed to rewrite it, the education policy continued.

The White House stated that Obama will be signing the act into law Thursday morning.